


But a Whimper

by JaxxCapta



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst and Feels, Because I Love Breaking Things and People, Bisexual Character(s), F/M, Gen, Not A Fix-It, Post-Reaper War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sentient Reaper Minions, Synthesis Ending, nobody is straight, post-Synthesis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 06:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6943591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaxxCapta/pseuds/JaxxCapta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Reaper War over, but it has only by a year. There is much adaptation to be done: rebuilding, reconnecting, restarting. But the standard post-war life has been shaken up by an event called the Synthesis. The line between organic and mechanical has been blurred, changing the very structure of life as we know it, making everything all the more difficult. In addition, some of those transformed by the Reapers have regained their sentience and individuality to an unknown degree. Society is forced to move on while facing its demons from the all too recent past, and people struggle to avoid slipping through the cracks. People like Tri’im, Quintus, Jinny, and Jona.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So that Synthesis ending, yeah? I rarely see it in fan works, most all of what I see is the Destruction ending. As nice as it is to see Shepard able to survive and (sometimes) pick up the pieces, I've always found Synthesis to be full of potential. I mean, suddenly we're launched towards transhumanism (and the other races' equivalents) and the Reaper creations seem to have been released from control! Which is partially why this story has so many original characters: it provides an opportunity to explore situations that the Normandy crew may not experience. This isn't to say none of the canon characters will appear or have a major role, but it will take Miranda and Oriana a while to get here.
> 
> Triggers for the chapter: Mentions of death, body horror

It had all been going so well until Tri'im's mother opened the door.

Poor Quintus howled like the tormented dead, the near-white skin on his neck and back of his head flushing blue as he stumbled back into Tri'im. Surprised, she tried to grab at him, keep him still. He pried himself away and ran off past the other apartment doors.

“Quintus!” Training and fighting instinct took over and she charged at him. They were the same height, but it was like a dreadnought chasing after a cruiser. Him lithe and long-legged, herself built like a brick. A brick with energy crackling throughout her.

He made it to the end of the hall when she tackled him and pinned him against the elevator door. Both stared into each other's eyes, breathing ragged breaths. She smelled the tang of fear on him; no doubt some had made its way into her own scent.

They maintained eye contact even as Quintus smacked at the door, trying to get it to open. Even as Tri'im splayed his other hand's fingers out and folded them back down, counting aloud as she did so. “One, two, three...” Splay. Fold. Count. Repeat.

The door opened to both of their surprise, Tri'im's count interrupted with a grunt. She hauled him inside and sat him down, enveloping his hands in hers.  
“Quintus, you still with me?”

“...Tri'im?” he rasped. His pupils were so huge she could barely see his irises, only the glowing green circuits with a hint of his natural grey-blue. “I- I am.”  
“You're okay, I promise. That was my mada, she wouldn't hurt the smallest spirit.” She splayed his fingers again, this time to slip hers between his and give a light squeeze.

Quintus took a deep breath, some of the panic easing its way from his posture. He squeezed back, but he felt too hot and he was shaking. “Your- your mada's a-”  
A curt nod was enough to cut him off. A marauder, as the galaxy's collective militaries termed them. A Reaper creation, a minion, a monster, an abomination no longer turian, no longer trustworthy, no longer worthy of wearing the skull-like facepaint of the clan she had married into. No matter how normally Tri'im and Galantian Rusius continued their life, no matter how often they joked that it was good the clan paint did not have a lower jaw component, nothing would change the fact that Tri'im lived with a face of the Reaper War. That she lived with a woman who had died once already.

The elevator stopped. Tri'im helped Quintus up and led him into the lobby. It smelled vaguely of alcohol and a weird biological odor she did not want to think about. But it was small and not all that busy, with little potential to trigger another panic attack, thank the spirits.

They had just left when Tri'im drew Quintus into a hug. His breath hitched, and for a moment she was afraid she'd scared him again, but he threw his arms around her and started shaking. Both had panicked themselves into not sharing earlier, but now a small connection dared to form and Tri'im channeled in as much protectiveness and compassion she could summon.

“Tri'im, I'm so, so sorry. I just fucked this all up, didn't I? I just-”

“No.” Tri'im surprised herself with her tone. So set, so steadfast, so much like her father. “Stop. Don't you think like that.” She broke the hug but kept a hand on his shoulder, the colorful fabric of his clothes crumpling underneath. He had to walk as she walked, but seeing the upcoming intersection, she asked him, “You going home or d'you want to come with me for the night watch?”

His head turned upwards, gazing at the Citadel's projected sky. It wasn't dark, not even dimmed; it never was in the Wards. “It's not night…”

“Second shift, pardon me.” She felt nor showed any hint of caring about the correct terminology. She'd never gotten used to the Wards' eternal light, even though her family had moved here when she was ten and now she was almost twice that. “You coming with or not?”

Quintus's mandibles drifted close to his jaw. His face turned the way he'd have to walk to get home. He was the same age as Tri'im, making less money than even her mother, but he lived alone. “I... I'll come with you. You work with kids, right?”

“If by 'working with kids' you mean mentoring a bratty pre-teen with a quarian's help and maybe sometimes doing an activity with the really little kids, then yes.”

Finally Quintus looked like he might be starting to smile. “You talk so nicely about them, though.”

Tri'im scoffed, but it was true. She'd told Quintus about her work often, and the only thing she consistently talked bad about was the administration. “That's because then they couldn't hear me and I wasn't coming in early to work off a demerit.”

They held hands the rest of the way, emotions flowing back and forth, Tri'im still counting his fingers in her head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since people are doing direct mind-to-mind communication, I ought to point out that underlined text indicates talking via direct connection.
> 
> Also, introducing semi-canon character Jona'Hazt this chapter! It's been a while since I wrote him, but he's proving to be a rather Fun character so far...

“So-o, you're Tri'im's boyfriend?” Jinny's cheeks squished further between her hands, four eyes blinking. “She's right. You are cute.”

Quintus stammered, one thumb hooked on the edge of his cowl by his chin. His mandibles were flared out, though, and he'd quit hunching over and shrinking against Tri'im as much as when they had gotten there about an hour ago. “Th-thank you.”

Tri'im let her head fall into one hand, but she saw full well between her fingers how much Jinny was grinning. Tri'im had told Jinny and Jona, who would probably show up when he was meant to instead of two hours early, as much about Quintus as she had told him about them. It was a good break for them, Jinny especially, who loved to act like she was on one of those teen/preteen shows she loved so much. She was into _Classy_ right now, but Tri'im knew a whole list of previous favorites.

“Do you like books?”

“Yes…?”

Jinny squirmed so hard Tri'im thought she'd fall out of the chair. She bunched her hands up in front of her face, giggling at Quintus's... everything. Why hadn't Tri'im thought to introduce the two before?

At least it was going far better than his introduction to Galantian.

“All right,” Tri'im said. She reached out and grabbed the back of Jinny's chair. One finger reached out, barely touching Jinny's back. Green circuitry lit up on both. It was only a short flare, long enough for Tri'im to make sure Jinny was doing all right and to express that she intended nothing too serious by dragging Jinny's chair behind her own. Plenty long enough for Tri'im, whose nerves sparked with pain, her head all of a sudden under crushing, momentary pressure. “In the corner for you.”

Jinny peered out from behind Tri'im to give her mentor a fake angry look, scrunched up too much for anyone to take seriously. “This isn't a corner.”

Tri'im scooted back. Her chair was against Jinny's toes now. “There's one not far from here.” She glanced over at Quintus, whose shoulders were starting to shake with silent laughter. So close. Just a little more and he'd be laughing audibly, a staccato chirring sound she almost never heard.

“Ahk! Help me!” Jinny reached out towards Quintus, flailing against Tri'im like it wouldn't be easy for her to just swing her feet over to the side and get up.

Quintus stopped shaking long enough for him to inhale. By the time Tri'im could hear him laughing, Jinny had just about crawled up her back. Tri'im played at fighting Jinny back into the chair, rolling her shoulders and sinking further into her seat to get a wedge between them.

The _tch_ of disapproval she heard behind her caught her by surprise and sent a chill down her spine.

She and Jinny tilted their heads back until they saw the pinched face of one Allura T'rynn. Her arms were crossed, her eyes narrowed and scrutinizing every little detail about the three around the table.

“Aren't you supposed to be teaching her-” she pointed her chin at Jinny- “Not scratching up the floor? And did your guest sign in?”

Tri'im shook off Jinny and stood. She stared down at Allura now, but the petite asari did not look fazed. “A little fun helps us all get to work, and yes, Quintus did sign in.”

A tiny window popped up on the glasses fused to Allura's face; it must have been the sign-in sheet. She read through it, and with the slightest nod dismissed the window, turned sharply, and walked away.

Tri'm huffed, internally wincing when her mentee imitated her. She pulled the chairs back to the table, grumbling, “Come on, let's get to work.”

“Who's that?”

Tri'im almost didn't hear Quintus's question, but she noticed his eyes were on Allura, watching.

“Allura. One of the supervisors- she actually gets paid worth a damn.” Tri'im decided not to linger on the thought, or Allura's back, and focused on the datapads she'd collected and set on the table before Jinny showed up. “Let's get going. Jinny: history or math?”

Jinny made a face, lip curling enough to reveal needly teeth that Tri'im thought did not fit her in the least. “How about neither? Is neither an option?”

Tri'im put a hand on the two datapads and slid them across the table so they sat in front of Jinny. “No. Neither is not an option. History or math?” The flange in her voice became all the more distinctive, getting her a nervous glance from all nearby.

“Math.”

Tri'im's mood sunk lower. “Fine. Let's get to work.”

“What have you been working on in math?” Quintus asked, turning on a data pad.

Thank the spirits. Maybe he could distract her. And himself. Tri'im listened as Jinny proceeded to ramble on and on about basic algebra.

The hour passed right by, the two working with little input from Tri'im. Then the fourth chair at the table was slid out and a quarian plopped into it, crossing one leg over the other.

“Hey, how's it going, Tri'im- holy _tits_ we got a newbie? Shit, you should have warned me! I would have made myself nice.” Jona preened, brushing at the red fabric wrapped around his enviro-suit.

“Young and impressionable,” Jinny sing-songed while Tri'im said, “That's Quintus, skakhead.”

“Oh.” Jona stuck his hand out for a quick wrist-clasp from a befuddled Quintus, circuits flaring on both of them. “Nice to finally meet you. Tri'im does nothing but chant praises of you. Name's Jona, captain of this ship.” He gestured towards Tri'im and Jinny. “I like to call it the _Paelhaz._ ” He chuckled at his own joke- spirits know everyone else missed the punchline- and reached behind his head to readjust one of the tubes that ran from his mask to the rest of his suit. “What's been going on, my citizens?”

Jinny sighed and let her head and shoulders collapse onto the table. “Math.”

“Ohh, I see. Tri'im, are you torturing the poor kid again?” Jona shook his head. “Let the expert handle it. Where were you at, kid?”

Jona got up and hip-checked Tri'im, prompting her to switch places with him. Which was all right with her; she'd rather Jinny got to do math with the person who was both interested in it and one of her actual mentors. Besides, now she didn't have anyone else between her and Quintus. She took his hand, feeling how tense his grip was before daring to shut her eyes and open up a connection.

How're you doing? Any better?

Quintus hummed aloud, not loud enough to distract Jona or Jinny, he made sure of that. It's a lot better than going home would have been. She felt a small blip of concern, felt as it grew and he explored the pain burning at her nerves. Are you okay?

A little overexertion. I'll survive. She went quiet, almost shutting the connection to hide the pain away before letting him back.

Wrong move. It fueled a growing storm of fear and concern and frustration from him, one that threatened to spread to her as well. Tri'im, we need to be able to communicate, I don't want you to try and be so... so stoic. I'm here for you, like you're here for me.

She took emotions out of the equation entirely, leaving an echoing space, empty save for the impressions of words. This one's my problem, nothing you can do about it. How are you liking Jinny and Jona?

His hand gave hers a gentle squeeze. She bet he was smiling. If I had a little sister, I bet she'd be like Jinny. As for Jona, well, I don't know, it's only been-

He's an acquired taste. Might as well warn him right now, reiterate what so many of her stories about Jona had said.

“So, how have you been?”

“Ohoho! Those two aren't paying attention, so... I hung out with these humans and you would not believe-”

A very acquired taste. Out loud, Tri'im said, “Are you doing math?”

“Shit,” Jinny and Jona said.

With both Jona and Quintus to help Jinny out, Tri'im had little to do. She skimmed through the history assignment, trying to think of what she knew about the era to throw in and make it at least a little more interesting for Jinny. This was about the asari expansion and initial colonization of space. Not Tri'im's preferred era; she liked the turian Post-Discovery era and the colony wars.

Unlike with Allura, she saw Octavilio sauntering up towards them from across the room. He leaned on the table, getting the others' attention, his angular facepaint as bright white as the teeth he showed in his wide, fake smile. “Good to see you've got a friend coming along, Tri'im. I trust everything is going well?”

Quintus blinked at the intrusion, but didn't startle. He must have noticed him approaching, too. Jona ignored Octavilio, and Jinny gave the newcomer a face so neutral there was an air of distaste to it.

“It's going fine,” Tri'im said as she watched Quintus and Octavilio exchange a quick wrist-clasp. Both supervisors, really? She wasn't behaving that badly, even if she was making up for her third strike.

Maybe Allura had put him up to this. Maybe they were trying to see if she'd slip up, give them a reason to lay down that fourth strike and fire her. Or maybe they were genuinely interested in seeing Quintus, given how few guests came by besides religious folks, charitable private citizens, or public figures wanting a “personal look” at how things were going and trying to stave off backlash by visiting here, not one of the big organizations like Shepard's Kids.

Octavilio peered over Jinny's shoulder, mandibles hugging tight to the line of his jaw. “Ohh, math. Well, you've got the quarian and this fellow here, so it looks like you're in good hands!” He nodded once and moved on to bother someone else.

Jinny scowled. “I hate how he says 'the quarian.' He knows your name!” She gave Quintus a thoughtful, perhaps even wary glance before returning her attention to her work.

“Eh.” Jona shrugged and scrolled around on the datapad. “Let's stick to fighting jackasses that aren't in control of my employment.”

Quintus's hand brushed Tri'im's. The visit had brought him out of math-space, and now he was checking out the rest of the tables, neck craned like he was some sort of sentry turret. She's a lucky kid to have two mentors.

Tri'im huffed out loud. True, there were multiple tables that had multiple kids to one mentor, not the other way around, and a few that had one older kid teaching the others. Jona's supposed to be going between tables. Oddly enough, nobody wants him around for more than a quick lesson. What a shock. She shut off the connection with such force Quintus pulled away like she'd burned him physically. Her fingers pressed at the plating around her eyes, trying to counter a growing headache.

Quintus gave one last look to an understaffed table and sank down with a sigh. Even without the connection, she could see the conflict in his eyes. It was busy, and she knew he was still feeling the remnants of his earlier panic attack, but so clearly wanted to help, wanted to interact with the children.

Then he jolted upright, scaring the other three. “Sorry!” He scooted his chair back to get up. “I just started a new job recently and I almost forgot I need to get in uniform and be there early I promise I'll come back sometime but right now I really need to go.”

Tri'im stood before he could get too far, catching his shoulder and his attention for a quick press of her forehead against his. “You'll be fine. Take care of yourself, okay? Or I swear I'm gonna go in there myself and-”

“You... you have a good day, too.”

She didn't sit back down until Quintus had gone through the door at the far side of the room.

“You kissed him,” Jinny assessed, earning a glare from Tri'im. “Oooooh.”

Jona pushed her shoulder with a snort. “If you finish quickly, you can interrogate her all you want.”

“Deal!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Mama Rusius, and she and Tri'im work out the day's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about taking so long to update! I know where I want to go, I just need to get it all set up now. Things will kick off in the next chapter or two.

Galantian was in the doorway even before her daughter was halfway down the hall.

Heat had built up on the back of Tri'im's neck, starting right when she'd left the center and realized she would be in for a Talk, and by the time she got home it felt like a furnace. She looked down at her mother, all the tenseness she'd held in her chest, jaw, and shoulders releasing. It was inevitable, might as well get it over with.  


Sure enough, Galantian sat down on the couch and waited patiently while Tri'im splashed some cool water on her face. The clicking of talons on a datapad tightened the remaining knot in Tri'im's stomach.

She sat next to her mother and buried her face in her hands. She didn't even look when she felt the edge of the datapad pressed against her arm, just accepted it and read.

_How was work?_

“Fine,” Tri'im replied, clearing the pad with the swipe of a finger before handing it back for Galantian to write on again.

After a minute, the datapad was in Tri'im's hands again. _Did Jinny cooperate? You said she could be difficult, especially with... which topics again?_

“Math, history, government. She did okay today. I barely even fought with her about math, but she had Jona and Quintus helping her instead of me.”

Galantian couldn't make many sounds, but Tri'im knew a rasp of approval when she heard one. _So the boy went to work with you. Good!_

“He didn't really want to go home right away.”

_I'm sorry about scaring him. I shouldn't have answered. So many people have been traumatized... It hurts us all._

Tri'im's mandibles twitched upon reading the last sentence. On one hand, her mother could be referring to both the other ex-minions and the traumatized people, or she could just be talking about the ex-minions. Tri'im did not like thinking about that. Even when she wasn't burned out, connecting with her mother hurt like none other, emotionally and physically. Suddenly having her mind filled with hundreds of thousands, if not millions or maybe even billions of voices all whispering in the background turned every nerve in her body into a supernova, not to mention how it activated deep-down instincts afraid she'd lose her mada. How much Reaper influence remained? How much of Galantian's self had really been given back?

“I should have warned him. I know he's... he's got issues with some things.” She smacked her forehead, claws trailing downwards and scraping the soft flesh surrounding her eyes. “I just, I-”

Galantian touched her arm, deliberately refusing to connect. The two Rusiuses sat still for a moment, Tri'im processing her thoughts while Galantian waited.  
Her voice cracked, a sharp inhale betraying her distress. “I thought you were sleeping. Not sleeping, I don't know.”

Galantian sighed, pulling her daughter into an embrace.

Tri'im shuddered at the unnatural coolness of her mother's body. It was the same sort of feeling as handling a prosthetic detached from its owner. She was glad the two weren't connected; she did not want her mother to know how unnerving simple touch from her was. Or, rather, that her daughter felt so unnerved and detached. Certainly she had seen something similar in that network of undead. Certainly someone had been careless enough to let those feelings be known.

The shudder itself was easy enough to hide with Tri'im's next breath, just as sharp as the last. Forget the cold body; Galantian used to be an undercover agent. She must be suspicious of her daughter's intent, coming home with someone under the assumption nobody would be paying attention to their activities.  
“He was just walking me home.”

Galantian let Tri'im go to write a quick message. _He seems like a very sweet boy. I hope we can meet in a better situation sometime and give him a better impression._

Well, it was the thought that counted. Tri'im nodded. “Yeah, I think he'd like that, too. You should have seen him with Jinny. He ought to be a mentor, he got really into it, but you know how she is, so he got flustered and she just kept going.” Recounting the past several hours brought a smile to Tri'im's face, and by Galantian's eye contact and still attentiveness, it looked like she was enjoying it, too. “Here he is trying to help her with her math, and she keeps pestering him with all these questions, and he answers, which throws him off, which encourages her... Oh! And I got to clear a demerit.”

_Good, good. You had a long day, so why don't you get some sleep._

Both got up, Tri'im to get ready for bed and Galantian to go to work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a good day for anyone.

Quintus didn't come to work with her on her next shift, but then again, she didn't show up early, either. Tri'im's head still felt one size too small, and the back of her neck was damp from the cold washcloths she had draped across it from the time she woke up to the time she left the house.

She stood in front of Jinny, staring down at the preteen and the datapad in her hands. It had _“Body of Steel, Heart of Gold”_ emblazoned across it in marker.  


Jinny glanced up, then sunk further into her seat, eyes on the datapad like nothing was wrong.

“I doubt that's your Literature assignment.” Tri'm sat down and took another datapad from the center of the table. This one held Jinny's grades and comments from the supervisors. Outwardly, it was all about Jinny, but Tri'im knew too well this all reflected on her when it came down to it. The stink of discomfort emanating from Jinny didn't provide any confidence.

Eyes on her charge, Tri'im turned the datapad on.

Her stomach sunk when she read it.

Consistent low marks- 70s, 60s, even 50s, except in Biology. The comments regarded Jinny as “easily distracted, a poor student,” and “not good with her peers,” and “unfocused, unmotivated.”

Tri'im's headache flared up again with the fury behind the glare she leveled at Jinny. She threw the datapad down, the loud slam it made hardly enough catharsis for this. “What went wrong, Jinny?”

Jinny trembled, hugging her book closer to her chest. “I-I don't know?”

“No. I bet you do know, and I need you to be honest with me. Jona and I need to know what we could be doing better.” Tri'im took the book from Jinny, immune to her widened eyes and the paleness in her face. “Duty, Jinny, learning's your duty.”

“I know that.”

The two were sitting quietly, Tri'im considering how to get this talk going, when Jona came to the table. “Is it evaluation day already? How did my favorite batarian do?” One hand on his hip, Jona picked up the data pad.

Tri'im saw how his fingers tightened as he read. Jinny had her head buried in her arms.

“Jinartha Tessarian _what the hell am I reading?”_

“Don't call me that!”

Jona brought his hand down on her shoulder, yanking her and her chair back until she was precariously balanced and forced to stare up at him. “I will call you by your name if I fucking want-”

“Jona,” Tri'im warned, on the lookout for the supervisors now.

“Tri'im, you're a turian. Tell her what comes with having a turian surname.” He angled Jinny towards Tri'im, his wiry muscles tensed under his suit.

“Jona, you're overreacting-”

“Tell. Her. And I will calm down.” Already she could see him shaking, the high note at the end of his sentence.

She scowled at him for added measure. “Being turian comes with responsibility, duty, and the understanding that your actions do not reflect solely on yourself,” she recited, each word clear from all the times it had been hammered into her during basic.

“But I'm not turian!” Jinny yelped as Jona tilted her back for a split second before putting her down.

Tri'im was done. She stood up so suddenly her chair went crashing to the ground. Before Jona could get away she'd grabbed the hosing behind his head in one hand and his shoulder with the other. “You look that over and think long and hard,” she called as she dragged Jona towards an empty hallway.

He tried to wriggle away once they turned the corner, but Tri'im had all the rage of a bad day and a headache to fight him back with. She kneed a closet door open and threw him in, then followed, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Tri'im, it's been a fucking year- two years, almost- and she's made next to no progress! We've tried everything fucking else-”

Tri'im shoved him against the back shelves and pinned him there, hissing. “That doesn't mean you can explode at her like that!”

She felt his muscles slacken. “What do we do, then?”

“I-” She took a deep breath to keep from saying she didn't know. “We- I- We can make things interesting. It's not like she can't handle the materials, she doesn't _want_ to.”

“I know, I _know_. But that hasn't worked. _Nothing_ has worked. Some kids can't be fixed, Tri'im, and I think Jinny's one of them.”

Tri'im didn't remember how Jonna ended up hoisted above her head, kicking wildly. They were both lucky when the door opened and her heart stopped. She dropped him and stared over her shoulder at none other than Allura and Octavilio. Allura gaped at the scene; Octavilio wore a well-practiced neutral mask, the one Tri'im recognized from both the military and the various hospitals she'd been in.

“I'm sorry,” he said, voice a cold purr, “Did we interrupt your fun?”

“What do you want?” Jona grumbled, readjusting his suit's hosing. He stiffened immediately afterwards, eyes darting around.

“We need both of you to come with us.”

Between the headache and the fear of punishment, Tri'im wanted to vomit. She and Jona left the closet, shuffling behind Allura and Octavilio like prisoners on their way to their execution.

It was no surprise that they stopped in the center's office. The older turian, sharp in face and in style, was. Tri'im did not recognize her, not even the particular style of her colony markings, and from Jona's rapid blinks, he was just as clueless. How much trouble were they in?

“Both of you, sit.” The turian stalked around the desk, indicating the chairs in front of them. The cut glass of her voice sent a cool shiver down Tri'im's spine, brought back memories of an ex-girlfriend who sounded so similar, could strike fear and awe and so much more with that voice.

“I'm sorry,” Jona said. He was not a small quarian, and Tri'im was a damn big turian by any standards, but she felt like both of them were tiny and insignificant near this... this force.

“You're not in trouble.” Finally the turian took a seat, pouring into it like water into a glass. “I am Spectre Acisia Bromraka. I have a mission for you.”

Fuck. Spectres.

“What do you need?” Tri'im asked. Her throat felt dry.

“What _we_ need is the child you two are working with.” Acisia's talons drummed once on the desk.

“Jinny?” It felt stupid to say, far too obvious. Of course it was Jinny, but what would anyone, let alone a Spectre, want with her.

“The batarian.” Acisia put a hair too much emphasis on the 'b' and 't,' and in her mind Tri'im heard the rumors and gossip of Council-allied soldiers putting the batarians who joined them in unnecessary danger.

“That's Jinny,” Jona confirmed. He didn't sound too good; was it just from all the stress of the past few minutes, or had he picked up on the same hint as Tri'im?  
“What are you going to do to her?” That prickle of energy returned with a pulse to match Tri'im's heartbeat. Her headache flared into an explosion, dynamite in her head. Her face hurt, her jaw tensed so hard her eye sockets felt like they'd crack from the pressure. She could feel Jona and the supervisors' nervous gazes on her, saw how cool and collected Acisia turned to ice, the circuits embedded in the Spectre's skin glowing pale green.

“Nothing more than sending her- and you as her guardians- to Earth for a short time.”

“What's wrong with the Citadel?” Oh so much was wrong with the Citadel, Tri'im knew that. Not only was it a weapon built to counteract genocidal alien starships, it was a maze, it was filled with crime and people more than willing to take advantage of, if not hurt or outright kill, people far tougher than a twelve-year-old from a species nobody liked.

“Enough that we would rather she not be here.”

Jona crossed his arms with a huff. “I, for one, am not agreeing to _anything_ that I do not get a very clear explanation of.”

Tri'im mimicked him. “We need _all_ the information first. I'm not charging in blindly. Why not the Citadel?”

Acisia shifted forwards, just enough so that Tri'im caught a glimpse of a large pistol holstered at her side. What was she doing with one of those in a center filled with children? “ Because if we let the batarians gather strength too fast, we're going to see another Hegemony. Removing batarians unaffiliated with any of their political movements will give us an advantage in upcoming negotiations.”

Tri'im and Jona shared a look. “So,” she said, “You want Jinny far away from here so you can use her as a bargaining chip?”

“It's for everyone's safety. We cannot let a second Hegemony form.” Acisia stood. “I expect to see you at Dock F twenty three by five hundred in three days.”

Tri'im shot up as the Spectre passed by. “Wait!”

Acisia glared at her.

“I want Quintus Epictus to come along.”

“More people will just be more obvious.” She started to move again.

“You're not going to find anyone else Jinny likes that will be more watchful.” Tri'im paused to take a breath, mind running too fast for her to comprehend anything she was doing. “He was a sniper, and she adores him and-” Another breath. “-If he comes with, it'll just look like he came with me.”

Jona nodded. “Nobody's better at spotting potential danger than that guy.”

Acisia paused, the door already opened for her to leave. “Fine. But I expect to hear of no issues whatsoever.”

Jona, Tri'im, Allura, and Octavilio stayed in the room as Acisia left, and then long enough for her to be out of the center altogether.

“The official story is that we got a donation with the explicit instructions to give a random kid some time planetside, and Jinny was the lucky winner of a random draw.” Octavilio gave a backhanded wave and left, not even looking at them.

Allura stood in front of them, getting their attention first. “You should get some educational materials from storage. _And_ explain what you _were_ doing in that closet before you get automatic demerits for subordination.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time. Sorry it's been a while, but I've been busy and need to get back on track. You all know how that is.

The explanation hardly went better than they could hope. Allura had scolded both of them about reacting in a more constructive manner, instead of causing tension. Tri'im and Jona left with their heads down, in need of the time and space to lick their wounds and process what had just happened.

Normally, the table would be that place. But Jinny wasn't there.

“Damn it,” Tri'im growled, able to spot the problem well before Jona. At least Jinny had taken the datapads with her, lest one of her peers have snagged them. “Let's go find her, then.”

There were only a few options for where she could have gone, so the two went together to check. First, and closest, was the corner by the kitchen, though it was a popular hiding spot. They found a human kid sucking on a lollipop and horrified at being caught, but not Jinny. Next was the closet they had been found in, but she wasn't there, either.

They were on their way to see if Jinny was actually in the room she shared with five other girls when Jona asked, “So, _why_ are we bringing Quintus?”

“I saw a chance, and scored us our first vacation together.”

Jona snorted. “With a third wheel and a kid. Very romantic. Good for you.”

“Me, him, a babysitter, and a kid.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Jona made quick work of the door's security, which usually kept mentors out, and stepped aside to let Tri'im in. “I think she likes you more right now.”

“Marginally.” She peeked inside first before entering. Jinny was alone, curled up on top of her bed with that book by her face and the other datapads piled at her feet.  
Whether or not Jinny liked her more right now, Tri'im still got a needly scowl from the girl as she stopped in front of the bed, chin high and hands clasped behind her back. “Jinny, we've got to talk.”

“Can you go away for, like, ten more minutes?” Jinny hunched her shoulders and pulled the datapad close to her face, covering even her upper eyes. “Or forever?”

Tri'im sat down on the floor. She heard the door close and soon Jona was beside her, his head down. “Not likely. Allura and Octavilio told us about something-”

“What do _they_ want?”

“It's not them, really...”

Tri'im hissed at Jona to cut him off. But it was too late; Jinny had put her datapad down and was scrutinizing their faces more closely. “What's that mean?”

Jona perked up, but Tri'im could see the stiffness in his posture and the sharp edge to the tilt of his head. “Long story short, we're all going on a vacation. With Quintus. To Earth.”

Now they had her rapt attention, all four eyes on Jona. The datapad fell from her hands, and the ones behind her got kicked aside as she moved to face her mentors. “No,” she breathed. “Don't be a dickbutt.”

“You stay out of my personal life.”

Tri'im restrained herself to a smirk as Jinny and Jona snickered. At least she forgave the grade thing easily.

“Seriously. Why a vacation?”

Tri'im coughed before Jona could say anything. It was her turn to be the worse of the two. “We'll give you more detail later, but basically, someone wants to make sure you're safe. Swear that you won't tell anyone?”

Jinny's face sunk into her sheets, covering her nose and mouth. Her voice was tiny. “Is my dad back?”

Tri'im and Jona shared a brief, more than vaguely concerned, look. “No...” Tri'im answered. “Not that I know. Either way, this is between us and nobody else. Nobody. Not even Allura and Octavilio.”

“Tri'im, they're in on it,” Jona said.

“I don't care if they're deep-cover agents,” Tri'im snapped, then huffed. “Just making sure nobody who isn't supposed to hear about it does.”

“Can I say I'm going on vacation?”

It was accompanied by an eye roll, but Tri'im nodded. “Yes, you can. Some friendly donor gave money for a random kid to go to Earth and you got picked.”

“Of _course_ it's random.”

“After those grades, what were you expecting?”

That response garnered Tri'im a glower and an unhappy grumble.

She stood and gave Jinny a pat on the shoulder, avoiding a connection more to save her own brain than to keep anything from getting across. “Start practicing getting up early. We're leaving in a few days.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Mata, I have to go.” Tri'im tightened her grip on her knuckles; her mother would understand, she knew that, but explaining what was going on still felt awkward. Like she was abandoning her mother. It didn't help that she had ended up telling the real version, not the story about the donor. The truth had... happened, bits and pieces and then all at once.

Galantian nodded, face unreadable, but would it have been all that different if she had a lower jaw, mandibles, normal eyes? She passed a datapad across the table to Tri'im.

_It's your duty. I know._

Tri'im erased the message. “I'll make sure everyone's safe. I doubt there will be trouble, but-”

The squeak of a chair against the hard floor was hardly warning. By the time Tri'im looked up, Galantian was in the corner of her vision.

And then a pair of weirdly cool arms wrapped around her, the plating of a deformed face pressed against her cheek. There was a bubble of a question laced with concern and love and guilt.

Tri'im answered affirmative and the roaring howl of Galantian's mind filled the opened connection.

I trust you, you can do this. If you could go to boot camp and face what you did, this should be nothing. I'm more concerned- The ending of the sentence faded into the mess of noise and emotion as Tri'im's mind faltered and she lost concentration on Galantian's voice. She'd slumped into her mother's arms, shaking like she had been chased across every ward on the Citadel. It was impossible to think straight, not with her brain feeling like it had been crushed under an ATLAS.

Everything quieted down, leaving only the sensation of Tri'im's own pulse. Galantian sighed and pat Tri'im's other cheek before letting go. Tri'im did not notice her leaving, nor the sound of a faucet running, only the glass of cool water insistently pressed into her hand.

“Thanks, mata,” she said. She did not drink straight away, instead letting the cold seep into her skin and become a focal point to recenter her scattered thoughts. The idea of consuming anything right now made her feel nauseous.

It was quiet in their apartment those few days before Tri'im left. Jona and Jinny were uncharacteristically quiet, too. Tri'im had not expected much different from Quintus when she went to tell him.

They met as his apartment, a tiny little thing with planters in every window and the thick scent of flowers filling every room. She had sat with him for a long while, holding his hand as the two passed the barest hints of emotion back and forth before she spoke.

“So, I got an opportunity to go to Earth, and I was wondering... Would you want to come with?” She had an idea how he would answer, but it was worth asking.

“I have to work, I can't risk losing my job…”

Her throat felt dry, the back of her neck hot. “Don't worry about it.”

“Why-”

“Trust me.”

She had not been able to hide the truth from him, either. That day, any time her mind wandered, it came to the conclusion that it was a good thing she had never been interrogated, nor put into a situation where she could be indoctrinated.

But even though he agreed to come with, she didn't see or hear from him until he showed up at the docking bay with a bag slung over one shoulder. Jinny had perked up when he approached and gave her a quiet greeting. She only had a small backpack Galantian had insisted on buying for her, and even that could still fit a little more in it even though Jinny had put everything she owned inside. Jona had even less, with only a satchel.

Another set of footsteps and Tri'im did a double take before both she and Quintus were on their feet at attention for Acisia. Jona followed their suit. Quintus glanced over at Jinny, who was more confused than anything, but had gotten on her feet all the same.

Acisia nodded to the mentors and Quintus. “Let's move.”

One by one they formed a line behind her and entered the ship's airlock. Quintus's hand found Tri'im's. He ran cold most days, but at least there was some sort of warmth and liveliness to him.

The inner doors opened. Jinny led the way in, her eyes wide as she took in the ship's interior. “Oh, _this_ kinda ship!”

Her guardians gave her a confused look. Acisia only provided a glare before she was facing ahead again, head held high. “The trip to Earth will be short, only a few hours long. Most of that time will be spent briefing you on the mission parameters. Follow me.”

They did, Jinny leading the way. She seemed comfortable here, her energy more... spread out. Not spent in sharp bursts of activity like when Tri'im and Jona worked with her, but rather a mellower constant. She bounced on her heels and swung her arms, but didn't grumble or squirm or anything like that.

A short trip down an elevator led them to a debriefing room, little more than an oblong table and half a dozen chairs. Acisia stood at one of the short ends and indicated that the others sit down.

“You will be in a remote area.” A holographic globe of Earth appeared over the table as Acisia spoke. Her fingers moved sharply, precise, as she rotated it to a view of a continent labeled North America. A small dot appeared on the leftmost large projection of land, bright red against the blue planet. Its label: Chugach National Forest. “We have dossiers on the area, including the wildlife. I recommend caution, especially when 'bears' or 'moose' are involved. There are some towns near where you are, but you are not to visit them.” Her eyes left the hologram long enough to stare into all of them. “You will have an emergency beacon, just in case. It transmits to this ship, and this ship only.”

“What's the ship's name?” Jinny asked.

Acisia glared at her. “I would rather not compromise security.”

“Oh.”

Anger curled in Tri'im's stomach. She shifted closer to Jinny, talons curled inwards. Quintus and Jona better have been paying attention, because she caught only snippets of the rest of the talk.

She only realized how long she had been stewing when the others all stood and Acisia led them back into the elevator. They were entering the atmosphere now, and would need to be ready for drop off.

Tri'im put an arm around Jinny's shoulder. Surprise cut through the cloud of anger when the girl didn't push her away, and even leaned into the touch.

Through the window, Tri'im could see a carpet of deep green trees, towering mountains, sparkling water. All nearly untouched by the Reapers, save for a few clearings where the flora had been burned away. The reason why was clear: only a few towns, clustered by the coast, were visible. It looked nothing like the Citadel. That, Tri'im guessed, would either save them or destroy them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strange. This fic is not supposed to be the fluffy one of the two I'm writing.

They were dropped in a meadow. A fucking wet meadow. Jona made a disgusted sound as he lifted his foot, now soggy and coated with wet grass and mud.

Tri'im hiked up a bag that held one tent in it, the other in hand. It smelled like plants, but not quite the sort of plants her brain wanted to register as plants. Curse levo planets, curse this “mission,” curse Acisia and her stuck-up attitude.

“This entire place can't be like this, right?” Quintus asked. He pointed in a direction that for all Tri'im knew was completely random. “Let's go set up camp or something. We need some shelter.”

The others followed out of a lack of better ideas.

“Three dextros and me,” Jinny said as she pushed through a bush covered in small leaves and blue berries. She picked a couple berries, rolling them over in her fingers before eating them.

“Jinny!” Jona shouted. “Don't eat strange plants! You don't want to be sick.”

“It's a blueberry!” Jinny's mouth puckered, and she picked another berry to hand to Jona. “It's fine. It just tastes sour-er than normal blueberries.”

Jona held the berry close to his mask, squinting. Quintus stepped forwards and held his hand out, thanking Jona as the quarian gave him the berry to examine.

“Yeah, it's a blueberry. There's some in the community garden near my place. This must be a wild variety, so, more normal than commercial ones.” He gave it to Jinny, who ate it with a smug smile.

Jona sighed, throwing his hands in the air. “At least one of us can forage for when we inevitably revert to our primal instincts deep in the wilderness.”

Snickering, Tri'im nudged Quintus. “'Primal instincts.'”

Quintus flushed bright blue as Jona laughed and Jinny fake gagged.

“Your tent is far away from ours,” Jona declared.

“Far, far away.” Jinny curled her lip at them one last time before she started walking again, picking blueberries along the way.

Tri'm knew that it was getting late, but the sun was still bright when the group found a drier location hours after landing. Acisia had warned them that this place was not called “Land of the Midnight Sun” for nothing, but inhabited planets were supposed to have an _actual_ day-night cycle, unlike the Citadel. At least it wouldn't throw off their sleeping pattern too badly. Just... more constant daylight.

Damn it.

Quintus and Tri'im pitched the tents while Jona and Jinny started a fire. They didn't acquiesce to the plea for half the group to be far away from each other, but Tri'im promised that if anything did happen, it would happen quietly.

It was one heck of a surprise when Quintus leaned close to whisper to her, “No guarantees.”

She almost tossed him in the half-erected tent right then and there. Instead she pressed her forehead to his, holding eye contact as long as possible before they had to finish putting up the tent.

Jinny and Jona made sure to sit between the turians once the campfire was going and everyone was eating.

Jinny poked at her food, some sort of mashed thing and vat-grown meat. “Do you think we're gonna run out?”

“Pssh,” Jona said as he waved off her concerns. “You eat blueberries and whatever else is worth eating here. They kill me, steal my food, and turn me into quarian jerky. We'll be fine.”

“...You'd be dead.”

“Kiddo, I'm dead inside already. They'd just finish the job.”

Tri'im cleared her throat. “So, would anyone protest if my mother wrote to them? She wants to make sure everyone's okay-”

“Holy fuck no problem!” Jona, who had been leaning back, rocked forwards and crunched up his bag of nutrient slurry. Both arms went up in the air, then they were limp, and collaped against his sides. “Mom Rusius! Hell yeah.”

“Is she a cool mom?” Jinny asked.

“The coolest,” Tri'im and Jona replied.

“Okay. Works for me.”

Jinny and Jona struck up a conversation about what they would tell their 'substitute mom.' It had been years since Jona's mother died, and Jinny's experiences with adult women had been more like an older sister at most.

Tri'im moved to sit next to Quintus. “If you say no, she'll understand.”

He didn't meet her eyes, rubbing his face with the heel of his hand. “No, I want to talk to her, I should try at least, I just... I don't know.”

Tri'im took his hand. “I can give you a picture of her from before the war, if that would make you feel better.”

“Okay.” His speech was dry, shaky.

She closed her eyes and focused. The day after Tri'im finished basic training, during the short break before she got her assignment, her parents had insisted on a family photo. They had booked the time months in advance, and they had been lucky to get the spot they did.

Tri'im wore her dress uniform for the occasion. It felt strange to wear, but her parents insisted.

Her father fussing over the specifics and her mother's attempts to hurry them up was the last clear memory she had before the war. The next one she had of them was waking up in a hospital to mutated faces.

She showed Quintus her mother. And, just so he'd know, she showed him her father.

“Huh. I, uh, I think you look more like he does, though.”

Tri'im smiled. There was no denying Tiberin Rusius had passed on his brick wall physique and squarish face to his daughter. The skin tone could have been either of them. Only her eyes and mandibles clearly came from her mother. “My mata once said that the only time she regretted marrying him was the day I was born.”

Quintus almost smiled back, but it didn't get him to laugh like her family did whenever someone told that story. “Is that why you're an only child?”

“Yeah, and what about you?” She had no idea if Quintus had any siblings. He'd confessed his parent's fate once, when he had tried to keep pace with Tri'im's drinking, but she didn't know if he remembered telling and it had never been brought up since.

His smile faltered and faded. “I... I'm not an only child. I guess.” He pointed up towards the sky, to the setting sun and the hints of stars appearing. “Look, an actual sunset. It's been a while, hasn't it?”


End file.
